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Path TraversalWeakness · CWE-22

CVE-2024-43165

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-08-13
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
71/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in Rashid87 WPSection allows PHP Local File Inclusion.This issue affects WPSection: from n/a through 1.3.8.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

Path traversal vulnerability in WPSection plugin allows PHP local file inclusion - an attacker can manipulate path parameters to read sensitive files outside the intended directory by using directory traversal sequences (e.g., ../../../).

MitigationUpdate WPSection to latest version after patch release; if unavailable, disable the plugin. Apply WAF rules to block path traversal patterns and implement strict input validation on file inclusion parameters.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Confirm WPSection plugin is installed
    Navigate to WordPress admin panel > Plugins > Installed Plugins. Look for 'WPSection' or 'WPSection - [plugin name]' in the list. Alternatively, check the /wp-content/plugins/ directory for a folder starting with 'wpsection'.
    Affected if The plugin is installed and active
  2. Identify installed WPSection version
    In WordPress admin > Plugins > Installed Plugins, find WPSection and locate the version number displayed under the plugin name. Or inspect the plugin's main PHP file header for 'Version:' tag.
    Affected if Version is older than the patched release (compare to vendor advisory for exact version numbers)
  3. Verify if file inclusion parameters are accessible
    Check plugin settings and features for any functionality that accepts file paths or includes files based on user input. Look for parameters that might accept file paths in URLs or form fields.
    Affected if The plugin exposes any parameter that accepts file path input without proper validation
  4. Inspect for directory traversal patterns in requests
    Review server access logs for requests to the WPSection plugin containing '../' sequences or absolute file paths (e.g., /wp-content/plugins/wpsection/../../../etc/passwd). Check logs at /var/log/nginx/access.log or /var/log/apache2/access.log.
    Affected if Suspicious path traversal patterns are found in logs targeting WPSection endpoints

User is affected if WPSection plugin is installed, the installed version predates the patch, and the plugin exposes path-related parameters that accept user input for file inclusion.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Update WPSection to latest version after patch release; if unavailable, disable the plugin. Apply WAF rules to block path traversal patterns and implement strict input validation on file inclusion parameters.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

WPSection version 1.3.9 or later

  1. 1. Update WPSection plugin to the latest available version from the WordPress plugin repository
  2. 2. If automatic updates are enabled, verify the plugin has updated to version 1.3.9 or later
  3. 3. Alternatively, navigate to Dashboard > Plugins > WPSection and click 'Update Now' if an update is available
  4. 4. After updating, verify the plugin is functioning correctly on the frontend and backend
  5. 5. Review the plugin settings to ensure no unauthorized changes were made prior to the update
Caveat Review plugin settings after upgrade as minor interface changes may have been introduced in the update

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,130
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An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,408.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2024-43165 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data